Swivel Hooks

[Tow411]

Topic Originally Created on Tow411 by Anaron in April of 2007:

 

My wire rope supplier suggested I go to 7 ton bearing swivel hooks instead of the standard ole swivel hook. Says I would probably have less problems with uneven wrap on drum as the bearing hook would let the rope rotate under load. Anyone using the bearing swivel hooks? If so, are there any benefits to spending the extra money which I don't mind if they work!

 

Ed Barker said:

never have any trouble with the standard swivel hooks,,,I looked at the bearing hooks at the suppliers display but I can't see where the enormous price difference would be worth it,,,just my opinion

 

Jeff98970 said:

A true swivel hook has a bearing in it to allow it to swivel under load. The swivel hooks we tend to use with wreckers will not turn under load because of the friction caused between the ring and the retainer nut. If your using a standard wire rope you need your hook to lock in this manor to keep the rope from unwinding itself under heavy loads and damaging itself. If you speak to a wire rope manufacturer instead of a supplier they will tell you the only wire recomended for a bearing style swivel hook is a true "non-rotational wire". Even a rotarion resistant wire will sustain damage with a bearing style swivel hook when approaching it's WLL. If you e-mail me I can send you some proper literature from some reputable rope manufacturers.

 

Wade200 said:

We use Crosby swivels on some rollbacks and our heavies. They don't swivel as much with a load, but they do a little bit. Ours have a washer looking thing that cuts down on the friction. We have some of the standard swivels and they don't hardly swivel at all (they are kind of junky).

I wish we have true ball bearing inside our swivels, that would be really nice. I haven't seen many with them though.Daniel Wade
Tony's Towing, Inc.

 

In Memory of BrotherandSons who said:

Swivel hooks are not a good thing for a wrecker unless you are doing a total "pick".entire casualty off the ground.
The layed cables whether fiber core or IWRC, which are the norm in our industry, work on rotational compression or "wringing" for strength . As load is applied, the outer strands twist radially( just like wringing a wet cloth) around the inner core wire and compress, making the individual wire strands compress against each other and become less likely to seperate or break. in THEORY a wire loaded from end to end without any bends in it could achieve the same strength of a solid steel bar.
When the swivel hook ( non bearing) is loaded it allows the wire to do its thing and all is well. The no bearing swivel is to facilate hook up, not stop rotaion of the wire.
using a bearing hook with layed wire doesn't allow this "wringing" and could even , under extreme conditions cause the layed wire to unravel under stress....thats not a good thing.
non rotaional wire isn't really desigend for our application, again unless your doing a lot of total "picks" . It works on a principle of linear compression, kinda like the "chinese thumbcuffs" us old farts played with as kids..the harder you pull the more the wire compresses and the stronger it becomes
Using non rotational wire on a wrecker is kinda costly and it doesn't work as well in dirt, gravel, etc as any particulate matter in the wire body will abrade individual strands to the point of breaking much faster than on a layed wire. And without the "twist" it abrades itself every time it goes around a bend under extreme load, such as a sheave or winch drum

spend your money on making sure your tensioners are doing a good job, thats usually the reason a cable won't rewind properly.

I probably could have just typed "save your money" .but then I would have sounded like an old cheap miser .but any way .......Save your money! BITE OFF MORE THAN YOU CAN CHEW......THEN CHEW IT !

 

Anaron said:

Thanks guys! Did not think about unraveling the rope under load, makes sense. Jeff, thanks for the phone call!

 

Curt Sharp said:

Great answer Jeff

 

DW Carter said:

nother example of the knowledge that is on this board. I had been thinking about using a bearing swivel on my rollback, partly for the low profile and partly wondering if the line would last longer. Now, I'd better rethink that. Thanks for that information .DW Carter WM92343

[rreschran]

Not mentioned in the narrative above, I believe it's important that swivel hooks are a must for carriers to prevent accidental "reverse turning" of screw-in eyelets.  For a few dollars more, a swiveling hook takes the worry out of accidental rollaway when all components are working as they should.        R.